Cross swinging axle for railway vehicles



April 10, 1934; F. KRUCKENBERG ET AL 1,954,705

CROSS SWINGING AXLE FOR RAILWAY VEHILES Filed Dec. 16, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l P 1934. F. KRUCKENBERG ET-AL 1,954,705

CROSS SWINGING AXLE FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES Filed Dec. 6, 1930 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 10, 1.934

PATE

NT! OFFICE 1,954,705 caoss SWINGING AXLE Fon runwa VEHICLES Franz Kruckenberg, Black, Hanover,

Curt Stedeteld, and Willy Germany;

said Black assignor to said Kruckenberg and said Stedel'eld Application-December 16, 1930, Serial No. 502,797

In Germany December 7, 1929 Railways using two-railed tracks and operated at high speeds (120-200 km. per hour) should have no short radius curves. In order that the high speeds can be maintained the shortest radius must not be less than R=2000 to 2500m. In order to traverse such curves it is not necessary for thetrucks to. be capable of pivoting with respect'to the vehicle body. Moreover freedom to rotate, for example of abogie truck, undesirably affects the steadiness of running of the vehicle on straight or easily curved tracks. It is unreasonable to accept the disadvantage of freely pivoted axles or trucks for runningover hundreds of thousands of metre'sof track where they are unnecessary, just because at the terminals a few hundred metres of track with small radius curves down to 'R=180m.' have to be traversed. If a railway track is to be used entirely as a high speed 0 track it is necessary to avoid radii below 1000m.

even at the terminals and to employ shunting, for example by means of sliding platforms and turntables.

In such high speed railways a two-axle vehicle in which the individual axles areheld perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle by two pivotally mounted holding bars lying in the direction of travel, can be directly used. In order to enable such vehicles to traverse existing tracks with curves of small radius, additional devices on the vehicle are necessary.

- These have the purpose of setting the axles automatically or at will to the inclined positions adapted to the curves. 5 The invention will be described for the purpose of illustration with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic embodying the invention;

Fig. 21s a detail of a resilient member adapted for use in the invention;

Figs. 3' and 4 illustrate two further embodiments of the invention; 0

Fig.5 shows a modification of the invention; Fig. 6 shows a further modification of the embodiment of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 shows a further modification of the form shown in Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is an additional embodiment of the invention.

In Figure 1, 10 are the two running wheels fast on the axle 11. 12 are the two holding bars which are pivotally connected to the axle 11 at 13, 14 and to thevehicle body 17 at 15, 16. The essential function of the holding bars is to transmit forces arising in the longitudinal direction of plan of a running gear the vehicle. Vertical and horizontal forces at right angles thereto are transmitted by other parts not shown here. The axles 11, the two bars 12 and the vehicle body 13 form a parallelogram so that the rhomboidal displacement, caused for example by lateral shocks, does not cause the axles 11 to change their exactly perpendicular position with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and accordingly no turning occurs with respect to the vehicle.

If the usual standard wheels with conical treads are used, oppositely directed forces occur in the holding bars during the traverse of curves. If, for example the leading axle moves to the left from its mid-position, the contacting wheel diameter on the left becomes larger and that on the right smaller. Since the wheels must rotate at the same speed, the left hand wheel will try to move forward more rapidly than the right so that tension is produced on the left hand bar and compression on the right hand bar. If single or double acting resilient members, such as springs, rubber buffers, air buffers or the like are interposed in the bars, in the present example the left hand bar will lengthen and if double acting members are used, the right hand bar will shorten. As a result the axle turns to the right and runs back to its mid position. The greatest turning of the axle and therefore spring deflection in the bars depends on the sharpest curve to be traversed. In order not to hinder steady running of the vehicle during fast travelling in straight sections, various measures may be taken. The resilient members interposed in the holding bars may be pre-loaded to such a degree that they only yield to considning on straight sections. Figure 2 shows an example of such a resilient member in the form of a single acting spring interposed in the connecting bar. 18 and 19 are the two parts of the bar. The spring 20 can be adjustably pre-loaded or closed up solid by the screwed gland 21. In place of the usual helical spring 20, advantageously plate. or ring'springs will be used which owing to their high damping prevent too rapid changes in length of the rods with the resulting unsteady running of the vehicle. It for example the gland screw 21 is made in the form of a worm-wheel, the pro-load of the spring 20 can be adjusted from the drivers compartment through a shaft and worm, to suit the conditions during running, that is lowered with sharp curves or side winds and increased for large radii. Rubber buffers in place of the springs at the same time decrease the transmission of noise from the wheels to the vehicle body.

Two other possible modes of transforming the parallel guidance of the axles during rimning on straight sections to turning thereof on curves or under side winds are diagrammatically shown in Figures 3 and 4. Here the lateral mobility of the axles is used for turning them. In the embodiment of Figure 3 the holding bars 12 terminate in nuts working on a right and left hand threaded spindle 24. By rotating the spindle, the end points 22, 23 of the bars are caused to approach one another, whereby the axle turns as shown under the action of the forces above described. The rotation of the spindle can be effected during running from the drivers compartment through a shaft and bevels 25 either by hand or by an auxiliary motor, so that the best adjustment of the bars to suit the conditions can at all times be made. The less the end points 22, 23

of the bars 12 are caused to approach one another the less the turning of the axle for the sameamount of lateral movement.

The same result is achieved with the arrangement of Figure 4. The parallel holding bars 12 are hinged to the weigh bar 26. The triangular stays 2'7 can have their ends 28 hooked on to the axle 11, or, by raising, to the vehicle body. If they are connected to the axle, the axle 11 with the bars 12 and the weigh bar. 26 form a rigid rectangle which during lateral movement of the axle swings about the point 29 on. the vehicle body, so that the axle turns as in a pony truck. If the stays 2'? are secured at the point 28 to the vehicle body the weigh bar 26 can no longerrock and under the action of the bars 12 the axle 11 moves parallel with itself as in Figure 1.

In the last two examples it is necessary to provide return forces of the right value when the axle is moved out of its mid position. Figure 5 shows diagrammatically in rear view the case where the return is effected by springs 30. These can be replaced by other returning devices such as rubber or air buffers, pendulum bar suspension or the like.

In Figure 6 an arrangement is diagrammatically illustrated in rear view which in addition clamps the movements of the wheel assembly 31 with respect to the vehicle body. This arrangement may be used in the same relation as the structure shown in Fig. 5. It here comprises for example an upwardly directed projection 32 which carries a horizontally acting double piston 33 moving in air or liquid filled cylinders 35 secured to the vehicle body and connected together through a throttle conduit 34. Such a device can be supplemented-so that with a particular adjustment, the relative movement between the wheels and the body is clamped automatically, further that the degree of damping can be varied during running and finally that any desired move ment of the wheels with respect to the body can be' positively effected from the drivers compartment. Such an arrangement is shown in Figure '7. It consists of the double piston 36 connected to the axle, and the cylinders 37, 38 secured to the vehicle body. The piston is returned to. mid position by the springs 39, 40. The method of operation is as follows: If the piston moves say to the left, the pressure medium can flow from the left hand cylinder 37 through the throttle valve 41 into the chamber 42, while the medium flows out of the chamber 43 into the right hand cylinder 38 through the suction valve 44. The more the valve 41 can open, the less it throttles the flow of the medium. The stroke of the valve is set by the adjustable wedge 45 which bears against an abutment 46 and is secured to a piston 48 by a spring member 47 which at the same time serves to load the valve. The higher the wedge is lifted, the less the valve can open and the greater the damping. Thelifting of the wedge against the pre-loading of a spring 49 can be efiected by an adjusting nut 50 or through the piston 48 by a pressure medium supplied to the chamber 42. Thus by altering the pressure in the chambers 42, 43 the damping can be adjusted as desired. If it is desired to move the wheels positively a certain distance laterally. say for turning the axle, then the driver merely needs to supply the corresponding chamber 42 or 43 with compressed air. Then the pressure on onev side of the piston rises above that on the other and the wheelsand axle are moved in the desired direction. If the lateral mobility of the wheels and axle with respect to the body is to be wholly prevented, for example during a gusty wind, both chambers 42 and 43 must be supplied with pressure fluid. Then the movement of the pistons 48 closes .the throttle valves 41 through the wedges 45 and the medium enclosed in the cylinders 37, 38 prevents any movement of the piston 36.

In Figure 8 another mode of effecting positive turning is shown. Here hinged at 52 to a cross lever 53, which at the ends 54 are pivoted to the vehicle body, and at the other ends carry nuts 55 which can be caused to approach or recede from one another by a right and left handed threaded spindle 56. How the axle 57 is turned will be obvious without further description. Arrangements fulfilling the same purpose can naturally be constructed from similar or other elements such as racks with pinion or worm drive, eccentrics or the like.

The above described arrangements for auto matic or optional inclined setting of the individual axles can naturally be combined as desired; moreover, for example with a vehicle always in the same direction the front axle may have a different arrangement from the rear axle.

We claim:

1. A railway vehicle for high speeds having separately carried axles, adjustable means connecting each axle to the vehicle for limited movement laterally of the vehicle and normally maintaining the axles at right angles to longitudinal axes of the vehicle, and manually controlled means for varying the adjustment of said connecting means whereby the axle is allowed to assume a radial position when said vehicle is running on a curved section of track.

2. A railway vehicle according to claim 1 in which said connecting means includes parallel holding bars pivoted to a beam pivoted to the vehicle body, and said manually controlled means is alternatively adjustable to two that as desired either the beam may be locked to the body while the bars are left free, or the bars locked to the beam to form therewith a pony truck pivoted to the body.

3. A railway vehicle according to claim 1 in which said connecting means include holding barspivoted to the vehicle body and the pivoted connection of the holding bars to the vehicle body the holding bars 51 are positions so can be caused to approach the centre line of the eluding a. liquid dampin g device for damping lateral movement oi the axle, and means for supplying compressed air to sa id clamping device whereby the damping eirect may be varied and whereby positive lateral movement of the axle may be effected.

FRANZ KRUCKENBERG. CURT STEDEFELD. WILLY BLACK.

III 

